US3166263A

US3166263A - Thread winding machine

Info

Publication number: US3166263A
Application number: US236572A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Horace L Smith; Edward G Mueller
Original assignee: Hupp Corp
Current assignee: Hupp Corp
Priority date: 1962-11-09
Filing date: 1962-11-09
Publication date: 1965-01-19
Anticipated expiration: 1982-01-19

Description

1965 H. SMITH, JR., ETAL 3,156,263

THREAD WINDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 9, 1962 INV EN TORS s wr n h R nw m M A LG d cf mm m THREAD WINDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 9, 1962 United States Patent 3,166,263 THREAD WINDING MACHINE Horace L. Smith, J r., Richmond, and Edward G. Mueller,

This invention relates to thread winding machinesand, more specifically, to a collapsible arborfor thread winding machines.

Windingmachines of the type to which the present in- Vention relatesare high speed, precision built machines adapted to wind natural and synthetic yarns on cops, cones, spools-and tubes at speeds on the order of 50 to 150 yards per minute. Heretofore, the thread package sup porting tube or other device has been mounted on a solid, generally wooden arbor fastened to the winding spindle of the thread winding machine. Solidarbors have proved unsatisfactory, especially when winding polypropylene, polyethylene, and similar polymeric synthetic fibers on paper tubes, since these fibers. tend to ,compress the tube to such an extent that it is difiicult to remove from the arbor.

To obviate this problem, collapsible arbors have been developed. Such arbors include one or more radially extensible tube supporting members such as rubber ringsor garter springs each mounted on a pair of relatively movable supports. Moving the supports closer together expands the tube supporting members in gripping engagement against the inner surface of the thread package supporting tube. Moving the supports apart allows the tube supporting members to contract, permitting the tube and the thread wound upon it to be readily dolled from the arbor. In the prior. art devices of this type, a compression spring is employed to force the supports together and to expand the tube gripping members and a lever is utilized to overcome the bias of the compression spring and move the supports apart and allow the expandable members to contract.

The prior' art devices have the disadvantage that, if

the lever is released by the operator, the compression spring will immediately move the supports together and expand the tube-supporting members, even though the tube has not been completely dotted. Consequently, the

operator must keep one hand onthe lever whileremoving the tube so that the tube-supporting members will remain contracted. Dofling of the thread package therefore becomes, at best, a relatively complicated, cumbersome procedure. r

The novel collapsible arbor provided by thepresent invention, similar tothe prior art devices, includes a pair of spaced apart garter springs each supported on two cooperating, relatively movable supporting members. The members in each pair are biased? together by a compression spring. In contrast to the prior art devices, a novel cam and roller release mechanism operated by a rotatable knob is provided to spread the support members ineach- The operator thus has both of his hands free to doff the package.

Objects of the present invention include;;; (l) The provision of an improved collapsible arbor; (2) The provision of a collapsiblearbor which is compatible with existent thread winding machines. and-which,

may be readily incorporated in existent machines;

3,166,263 Patented Jan. 1.9, 1965- ICC (3), The provision of a collapsible arbor for thread winding machines which will free the operators hands for dofling a thread package from the winding spindle; and

(4) The provision-of acollapsible arbor which is simple, rugged, and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Further objects and other novel features of the present invention will become fully apparent from the appended claims and as theensuing detailed description and discussion proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of athread winding machine equipped with a collapsible arbor constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section-through'the collapsiblearbor taken substantially along line 22 of-FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a cam ernployedin the collapsible arbor.

Referring now to the drawing, in which exemplary structure is shown, FIGURE 1 illustrates a thread winding machine 10 equipped with the novel collapsible arbor 12 provided by the present invention. Winding machine, 10, which is disclosed in detail in'copending'application No. 138,166 filed September 14, 1961, by August J. Hambach for Precision Winder includes an electric motor (not shown) mounted on base plate14 and surrounded by a housing 16 including removable fastened in place by trunk latch 22.

The output shaft 24 of the electric motor (see FIGURE 2) 1 extends horizontally from the interior of housing 16 through an aperture (notshown) in housing sidewall 26 and through a conical shield 28 fastened to sidewall 26 by screws 29. r

Collapsible arbor 12, which is mounted on and fastened to motor output shaft 24, supports a cylindrical paper. tube 30 on whichthread 32-is woundto form a thread package 34. The winding machine motor-simultaneously rotates tube 30 in the direction indicated bythearrow in FIGURE 1 and, through a gear gainer and a cam assembly (not shown).operatively connected to the opposite end 10f the motoroutpiit shaft, reciprocates a tubular traverse rod 36 along tube-30. Traverse rod-36 pivotally supports an arm 38 on which are fixed a guide 40 and a thread guide assembly 42 which guides thread package 34.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, collapsible arbor 12 in-. cludes atube 44mounted onwinding motor output shaft. 24. Oneendof tube 44is supported by winding motor. outputshaft 24 and abuts an annular shoulder 46 formed on the shaft adjacentthe outer end'of conical .shield 28. The opposite end of tube 44 is supported by the outboard end.48 of motoroutput shaft 24. Tube 44 is rotatably,

thread 32-onto tube 30 to form fixedto winding motor output shaft 24 by a setscrew 50 which extends through a circular backing plate-s2; fixed: to the inner end of. tube 44:as;b'y weldingand throu'gh tube 44 intoa fiat 54 cut in themotor output shaft;

The reduced diameter end portion 56 of the backing platesupports the inner endof paper tube 30which abuts an annular shoulder 58 provided by an increased diameter portion 60 of the backing plate. A triangularly sectioned, sharp edged blade 61 fixed to the periphery of backing plate 52 prevents tube 30-lfrom rotating relative to the backing plate. Paper tube 30is also supported by a pair of collapsible garter springs 62 and 64- which surround tube 44 at; approximately its midpoint and adjacent its outer end. Garter springs62 and64.are circularly formed coil springs. Garterv spring 62is.supported in concentric relation @toitube 44 by a pair. of cooperatingspringsupporting discs. 66 and 68. Garter spring 64 is. similarly supported by a spring supporting disc 70 andiby char'nfered, hollow,cylindrical-sleeve 72.

stantially identical, each comprise a flat, annular, main panels 18 and 20 body portion 74 and an annular flange '76 providing a with disc66'to support garter spring 62, is brazed to three elongated rods 80 equiangularly spaced around the periphery of tube 44 (only one of which is shown) which extend through appropriate apertures (not shown) rods from being withdrawn through disc 84. The outer ends of rods 80 are fixed, as by welding, to sleeve 72.

Sleeve 72 has an outside diameter approximately equal tothe maximum diameter of spring supporting discs 66, 68, and 70. An inclined annularflange 88, formed at the inner end of sleeve 72, provides a conical supporting surface 90 for garter spring 64. At the inner edge of flange 88, an integral, annular, sleeve supporting flange 92 projects inwardly to tube 44. Rods 80 extend through and are welded to sleeve supporting flange 92.

The function of the collapsible arbor structure thus far described is as follows: cam sleeve 72 .rnay be moved to the right, drawing with it rods 80 and spring supporting disc 68. This moves apart the coopenating spring supporting surfaces 78 of discs 66 and 68 and the cooperating spring supporting surfaces 78 of spring supporting discs 70 and 90 of sleeve 72, allowing garter springs 62 and 64 tocontract. Tube 30- may then be slid over the garter springs and the reduced diameter end portion 56 of backing plate 52 and butted against annular shoulder 58. Sleeve 72 is then-moved to the left, moving rods 80 and spring supporting disc '68 in the same direction. This moves the two pairs of cooperating conical spring supporting surfaces closer togethenforcing garter springs 62 and 64 outwardly against the internal surface 94 of tube 30 to retain it on the arbor. After the winding of thread package 34 is completed, sleeve 72 is again moved to the right collapsing the garter springs and allowing the thread package to be readily doffed even though paper tube 30 has been substantially compressed by the thread wound upon it.

Rods 80, spring supporting disc 68, and spring supporting sleeve 72 are biased to the left to maintain garter springs 62 and 64 in their expanded, tube supporting configuration by a coil compression spring 96 which surrounds tube 44 and extends between the main body portion 74 of spring supporting disc 66 and disc 84, To

move rods .80, spring supporting disc 68, and sleeve 72 to the right to collapse garter springs 62 and 64 and permit the removal of the completed thread package, a cam assembly indicated generally by reference character 98 is provided. 7

Cam assembly 98 includes an actuator shaft 100. Shaft means such as a dowel pin fixed to actuator shaft 100 or the reduced diameter end portion 101 of shaft 100 is rotatably mounted in a blind bore 102 drilled in the outer end of winding motor output shaft 24. Fixed to the outer end of actuator shaft 100 is a knurled operating knob 104. A conventional thrust bearing 106,

surrounding actuator shaft 100 and extending between the outer end of tube 44 and the inner end of actuator shaftv 100insures that operating knob 104 can be rotated relativeto tube 44 without binding. Actuator shaft 100 supports a pair of cam rollers 109 and 110 rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the shaft by a pin 112 which extends through bores 114 and'116 in the rollers and-through a transversely extending aperture 118 in the actuator'shaft.

Cam rollers 109 and 110 cooperate with an annular cam 122 which surrounds actuator shaft 100. Cam 122 is supported by sleeve 72 which extends over a reduced diameter portion 123 of the cam forming an annular, sleeve receiving recess '124 and is rigidly fixed to the cam as by brazing. Cam surface 120 is divided into two equalarea portions so arranged that cam rollers 109 and 110 follow identical paths when knob 104 is rotated and therefore exert a force on cam 122 which is symmetrical relative to the longitudinal centerline of winding motor output shaft 24. Each cam surface portion slopes upwardly from a low point or dwell 126 to a high point or rise 128. Each rise 128 and the adjacent dwell 126 are connected by a shoulder 130 extending substantially normal to cam surface 120. When knob-104 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 2, rollers 109 and 110 ride up the sloping cam surface portions from dwells 126 to rises 128. Since rollers 109 and 110 are prevented from moving toward winding motor output shaft 24 by thrust bearing 106 and the outer end of tube 44, cam 122 is forced to the right, pulling sleeve 72, rod 80, and cam disc 68 to the right against the bias of spring 96. I

As was explained above, this movement of cam disc 68, rod 80, and sleeve 72 permits garter springs 62 and 64 to contract, allowing the operator to doif the completed thread package 34 and insert a new tube 30.

Arcuate depressions 132, formed in cam surface 120 at rises 128, retain rollers 109 and 110 on rises 128 until knob 104 is rotated by the operator. Garter springs 62 and 64 therefore remain collapsed until knob 104 is again rotated, freeing both of the operators hands for removal of the completed thread package and insertion of a new tube. After the new tube is in place, kn0b104 is again rotated in the direction of the arrow, allowing rollers 109 and 110 to ride ofi' rises 128 and drop over shoulders 130 onto dwells 126; Compression spring 96 then moves rods 80, spring supporting disc '68, and cam housing 72 to the left, expanding garter springs 62 and 64 outwardly against inner wall surface 94 of tube 30 to secure the new tube 30 in place. i l

The invention maybe embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

(e) means having a cooperating cam and roller spaced outboard of both package retaining members for simultaneously reducing the effective diameters of said first and second supporting means to and maintaining them at a minimum and including means solely in said collapsible arbor for locking said first and second retaining member supporting means with their effective diameters at a minimum to maintain the first-and second package retaining members collapsed.

2. A collapsible arbor for thread winding machines, comprising:

. (a) a winding spindle receiving sleeve; (b) means for detachably fixing, said sleeve to a Winding'spindle receivedtherein'; r (c) a pair of spaced apart garter. springssurrounding said sleeve;

(d) a pair of supporting members providing two annular, inclined, facing supporting surfaces spacing .each of said springs from said sleeve;

(e) means fixing one of each pair. of supporting members to said sleeve; i

(i) an operating member;

(g) means fixingthe other of each pairof supporting members to said operating member;

(h) means operatively engaging saidoperating member and biasing the members in each pair of supporting members toward each other to expand said garter springs; and

(1') release means fixed to one end of said operating member fol-"moving the members'in each pair of supportingmembers apart against the influence of said biasing means. to collapse'said garter springs and for retaining said garter springsin saidcollapsed configuration, said release means including means solely in said collapsible arbor for locking said supporting members apart to maintain said garter springs collapsed.

3. The collapsible arbor as defined in claim 2, including an annular backing plate fixed to said sleeve in longitudinally spaced relationship to said garter ring supporting members, said bcaking plate including a cylindrical tubesupporting portion and an annular flange for locating a tube longitudinally of said sleeve.

4. A collapsible arbor for thread winding machines, comprising:

(a) a winding spindle receiving sleeve;

(b) means for detachably fixing said sleeve to a winding spindle received therein;

(c) a pair of spaced apart garter springs surrounding said sleeve;

(d) a pair of supporting members providing two annular, inclined, facing supporting surfaces spacing each of said springs from said sleeve;

(2) means fixing one of each pair of supporting members to said sleeve;

(f) an operating member;

(g) means fixing the other of each pair of supporting members to said operating member;

(h) means operatively engaging said operating member and biasing the members in each pair of supporting members toward each other to expand said garter springs;

(i) release means fixed to one end of said operating member for moving the members in each pair of supporting members apart against the influence of said biasing means to collapse said garter springs and for retaining said garter springs in said collapsed configuration;

(j) one of said spring supporting members comprising an enlarged diameter sleeve having an annular flange at one end thereof surrounding said spindle receiving sleeve, said sleeve being slidable on said spindle receiving sleeve; and said release means including:

(k) shaft means fixed longitudinally of and rotatable relative to said spindle receiving sleeve;

(l) a rotatable operating member fixed to and axially aligned with said shaft means;

(m) a circular cam providing an annular cam face slidably mounted on a shaft portion of said rotatable operating member and supporting the end of said enlarged diameter sleeve opposite said flange;

(n) a pin extending transversely through the operating member shaft portion; and

(0) cam rollers journalled on the end portions of said pin and cooperating with said cam to move said enlarged. diameter sleeve longitudinally of said spindle receiving sleeve. l 5. The collapsible arbor as defined in claim 4, including a thrust bearing journalled on said shaft means and extending between said spindle receiving sleeve and. said operating member shaft portion.

v6. A collapsible arbor forzthread inding machines comprising:

(c) a pair of spaced apart garter springs surrounding i 'said sleeve;

- (d) apair. of supporting members providing two annular, .inclined,ffacing supporting surfaces spacing each of said springs from said sleeve;

- (e) means fixing .one of each pair of supporting members to said sleeve;

(1) an operating member; T

(g) means fixing the other of each pair. of supporting members to. said operating member;

(It) means operatively engagingsaid operating member and biasing the members in each pair of supporting members toward each otherto expand said garter springs including:

(i) a spring retaining member slidably mounted on said sleeve;

(j) a stop member between the end of said operating member and said retaining member and operatively connecting said operating and spring retaining members; and

(k) release means fixed to one end of said operating member for moving the members in each pair of supporting members apart against the influence of said biasing means to collapse said garter springs and for retaining said garter springs in said collapsed configuration.

7. A collapsible arbor for thread winding and like machines, comprising:

(a) a winding spindle receiving sleeve;

(0) a pair of spaced apart expansible thread package supports surrounding said sleeve;

(d) a pair of supporting members providing two annular, inclined, facing supporting surfaces spacing each of said thread package supports from said sleeve;

(e) means fixing one of each pair of supporting members to said sleeve;

(1) an operating member;

(h) means operatively engaging said operating memher and biasing the members in each pair of supporting members toward each other to expand said thread package supports including:

(i) a package support retaining member slidably mounted on said sleeve;

(j) a stop member between the end of said operating member and said retaining member and operatively connecting said operating and package support retaining members; and

(k) release means fixed to one end of said operating member for moving the members in each pair of supporting members apart against the influence of said biasing means to collapse said package supports and for retaining said package supports in said collapsed configuration.

8. A collapsible arbor for thread winding machines,

comprising:

(a) a winding spindle receiving sleeve;

(d) a pair of supporting members providing two annular, inclined, facing supporting surfaces spacing each of said package supports'from said sleeve;

(e) means fixing one of eachtpair of supporting mem bersto saidsleeve; i t

(f) an" operating member;

(g) means fixingthe other of each pair of supporting members to said operating member; (h) means operatively engaging said operating member and biasing the members in each pair of supporting members toward each other to expand said package supports;

(i) release means fixed toone end of .said operating member for moving the members in each pair of supporting members apartagainst the influence of said biasingmean-sto collapse said package supports and for retaining said package supports in said, collapsed configuration; 1

(j) one of said package support supporting members comprising an enlarged diameter sleeve having an annular flange at one end thereof surrounding said spindle receiving. sleeve, said sleeve being slidable on said spindle receiving sleeve; and said release means including:

, (k1) shaft means fixedlongitudinally of androtatable relative. to said spindle receiving sleeve; *1 I (l) a rotatable operating member fixed;toi and axially aligned with said shaft means;

(m) a circular cam providing 'an'annular cam face -slidablymounted on a shaft portion of said rotatable References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,042,968 Siegenthaler 'i, June 2, 1936 2,747,809 Selby e ee a 29, 1956 noanioN PATENTS 7 882,218 Germany July 6, 1953

Claims

1. A COLLAPSIBLE ARBOR FOR THREAD WINDING MACHINES, COMPRISING: (A) FIRST AND SECOND RESILIENT, RADIALLY EXPANDABLE, SPACED APART PACKAGE RETAINING MEMBERS; (B) FIRST AND SECOND RETAINING MEMBER SUPPORTING MEANS; (C) MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY VARYING TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DEGREE TO EFFECTIVE DIAMETER OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RETAINING MEMBER SUPPORTING MEANS; (D) MEANS NORMALLY MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVE DIAMETERS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORTING MEANS AT A MAXIMUM; AND (E) MEANS HAVING A COOPERATING CAM AND ROLLER SPACED OUTBOARD OF BOTH PACKAGE RETAINING MEMBERS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING THE EFFECTIVE DIAMETERS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SUPPORTING MEANS TO AND MAINTAINING THEM AT A MINIMUM AND INCLUDING MEANS SOLELY IN SAID COLLAPSIBLE ARBOR FOR LOCKING SAID FIRST AND SECOND RETAINING MEMBER SUPPORTING MEANS WITH THEIR EFFECTIVE DIAMETERS AT A MINIMUM TO MAINTAIN THE FIRST AND SECOND PACKAGE RETAINING MEMBERS COLLAPSED.